Rank your country's commentary team

[Furball]

Haysman is that massive ****wit right?

Doesn't really narrow it down tbh.

 

[morgieb]

Another bump, mostly influenced by the recent changes to the cricket commentary scene in Australia.

I'll do Fox as I've mostly only watched their coverage so far:

O'Keeffe 9 - genuine gem. There are times he can overdo the comedy, but usually it's not at the expense of the game itself, and his knowledge of players is genuinely first-rate. Lots of personality too.
Guha 8 - there are times she does come across as being a bit too unassertive, but her voice and appearance is so beautiful it doesn't really matter. And her knowledge is pretty damn good too and isn't afraid to ask the tough questions of her co-commentators.
Gilchrist 7 - a rare player who can actually call the game fairly well is worth his weight in gold, and he's a pretty sharp cricketing mind typically. Could probably improve his insights somewhat but he's pretty good.
Border 7 - a bit dour, but I do rate him. Fairly polished, no BS and has pretty decent knowledge.
Symonds 7 - doesn't seem super insightful, but his calling style is one I dig and he seems to be quite sharp. Not sure how he'd go doing Tests but he's a good white ball caller.
Vaughan 7 - this will probably get me lynched, but I actually think he's pretty solid. Has a fairly sharp mind, seems willing to ask good questions of his co-commentators and is rather balanced. Perhaps he'll be worse when England are playing but even on 9 he was pretty decent.
Hussey 6 - he's fine, I guess. Still a bit boring but at least focuses on the game and isn't really offensive.
Julian 6 - has got excellent qualities for hosting - he speaks fairly well and is very good looking (if that floats your boat) but his actual commentary isn't too flash. Just don't think he knows enough about the game.
Warne 5 - I will say this much - I think he's been better on Fox than 9. He seems more willing to discuss the game and his insights have always been quality. He's still a self-promotion grudge-ridden dickhead though and the call felt better when he was not commentating at Perth.
Howard 5 - good caller, but really shouldn't be doing internationals with Fox's structure. Simply seems pointless.
Waugh 5 - on the one hand, I do kinda respect that he is willing to say what he believes rather than simply toeing the CA line and making excuses. But seems overly prone to going into Channel 9 mode too much and he also seems way too keen to come across as not watching that much cricket. Why commentate, then?

And their non-international guys:

Jones 7 - I get why she isn't commentating men's internationals, but I do quite enjoy her work. Free from BS and also seems rather knowledgeable.
Hastings 7 - seems pretty promising so far. Has pretty good knowledge and doesn't seem particularly obnoxious.
Lehmann 5 - his knowledge is rather strong, but he's simply not really a natural with the mic, alas.
Hughes 4 - has some....interesting views about the game. Would be an interesting character in some commentary boxes but overall he doesn't come across as being very good.
Johnson 4 - early days but doesn't really seem up to it from the little I've heard.
Morris 4 - I guess he's fine, but again seems pointless. Plus while Howie seems like a great guy, Morris just strikes me as your typical private schoolboy dickhead.
Lee 3 - occasionally says something interesting re: fast bowling and less overtly obnoxiously Australian as some, but otherwise very bad. Simply isn't bright enough for it.
Healy 2 - again apart from wicket-keeping is awful. Thank god that unlike 9 Fox has sidelined him so far.

So far a lot better than 9. Probably stronger than any non-Sky team right now, though admittedly that could change as time goes on and the bad memories of 9 decline.

 

[Prince EWS]

I've found Vaughan the commentator is a fair bit better than Vaughan the twitter troll. He reverts to type whenever he's paired with Warne though. I think 7 is a bit high but I've grown to hate him less than I expected to.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Vaughat's actually not as insufferable as I expected, except for when the subject of fair play and sportsmanship come up, where his staggering lack of self awareness shines through.

Granted I haven't seen a huge amount of the Fox Test coverage though

 

[GotSpin]

Tough rating on Waugh. Yeah it’s true, his lack of awareness towards some players is truly astonishing considering his previous position as selector but I like the way he calls everything as he sees it

 

[Gnske]

I've only been listening to 7, however ranked from best to most garbage

Ponting - Really, doesn't get any better. Never annoys you, great insight, wonderful.
Fleming - Gets into bowling well, most charismatic bloke on the team.
McGrath - I like his obsession over bowling techniques. Good repartee with Ricky.
Mitchell - Is fine, but needs to change tone once in awhile from a monotone half-yell like Mike Haysman does. Otherwise completely inoffensive as a ball-by-ball caller, says no dumb ****, plus she's a woman and I didn't see anyone trying to paw over her unlike Guha and Neroli "My fame is breaking the headbutt story, you're welcome" Fox.
Gillespie - Again, gets into bowling well like Fleming and McGrath. But sounds really, really tired all of the time like he's related to that one CA livestream caller who sounds like he's pumped one too many stubbies and a lifetime of Winnie Blues into his veins.
Brayshaw - I remember him being worse on Nine. Hasn't been that offensive so far, but the summer is young.
Blewett - Just boring.
Lane - Says dumb **** sometimes, but still a better sounding ball-by-ball caller than most of Channel 9's crew at the end.
Slater - I'm baffled as to why Seven wanted this guy. Is forced to do some level of genuine analysis at rare moments, but is still just as annoying. Surprised they didn't bag Mark Nicholas instead of this chump.

I'll leave out Copeland since he doesn't count. As a side-note, I've felt that perhaps having Gillespie/Fleming/McGrath all there may have caused some overkill in regards to bowling technique. I feel there's been more talk about goddamn arms over the last two test matches than in the last 15 years of Nine.

All in all though, remarkably inoffensive generally.

 

[morgieb]

7 is an interesting one. OTOH Ponting > anyone on Fox (and probably at this point anyone worldwide, TBH). But Slater sucks, Fleming tries way too hard and McGrath's just dull. Maybe they've been better on 7 but I'm not optimistic.

With that said I wouldn't be surprised if Fleming and Slater mostly are unheard on Boxing Day/NYT due to their BBL commitments, and we might get a team that's actually very good.

 

[Gnske]

McGrath is dull for sure, but he's not Healy or Taylor is what I keep telling myself.

 

[Howe_zat]

The players who are more recent are usually good as they know the players well and talk about modern tactics in a non-dumb way, but more importantly they feel as though they're supposed to come in and do a good job. The ones who have been commenting for 10-15 years are the worst because they've stopped being knowledgeable and don't care. They are used to being fawned over rather than have anyone asking them to do the job.

 

[Hicheal Michael]

Are Chappell's days presumably over?

Always thought he was good value.

 

[stephen]

Thinking about it, are any commentators currently going around on 7 who debuted before 1990? AB is one from fox. Are there any others?

 

[Gnske]

Are Chappell's days presumably over?

Always thought he was good value.

He was a good for a predictable rant and hating on some players specifically.

I think he's still doing the odd contribution to CricInfo.

 

[Prince EWS]

Are Chappell's days presumably over?

Always thought he was good value.

He was a good for a predictable rant and hating on some players specifically.

I think he's still doing the odd contribution to CricInfo.

2UE (or whatever it's called outside of Sydney -- "Macquarie Sports Radio" apparently) picked him up for their call this summer.

 

[morgieb]

2UE (or whatever it's called outside of Sydney -- "Macquarie Sports Radio" apparently) picked him up for their call this summer.

He's been on Macquarie for ages now, ever since they first picked up cricket rights which was about 2013.

 

[randycricfreak]

well hello.....

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121- Russel Arnold
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795- Roshan Abeysinghe

 

[SillyCowCorner1]

well hello.....

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121- Russel Arnold
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795- Roshan Abeysinghe

Sanga just started but not covering SL cricket.

 

[Pup Clarke]

SuperSport

Mpumelelo Mbangwa : 9/10 - Clean pure voice, his moments of excitement are good value. Knows the game well.
Robin Jackman : (7/10) - Old Jackers getting on a bit now. Enjoy his stories from his Surrey days, Rhodesia days and WP days but the smokes and whisky has effected his health and in turn the scratchy voice. But still worth a good listen.
Kepler Wessels: (7/10) - Might be a big biased c**t to some but the bloke says what is on his mind and doesn't hold back. Can make for some good listening. He was a shrewd captain and knows the game inside out.
Shaun Pollock: (9/10) - My personal favourite. His jokes can be corky but love his bowling analysis. Think a lot of people respect his comm work already in a short space of time.
HD Ackerman: (8/10) - All round good guy. Can overthink things possibly and the negative jokes about himself can be a bit much. But loves the game, knows the game well and generally speaks a good game.
Mike Haysman: (6/10) - Used to like the guy and used like his comm work. Maybe the time in States has dropped him off a bit. Not sure what it is but he gets irritating sometimes listening to him now.

Yep. Really enjoy the SA commentators (minus Haysman) we get on Sky. Pommie is a great host too and find Graeme Smith excellent

 

[randycricfreak]

Sanga just started but not covering SL cricket.

Even Mahela does some stints there in thereabouts.

 

[NUFAN]

Bump.

Keen for a morgie update tbh that was a big summary.

 

[morgieb]

Another bump, mostly influenced by the recent changes to the cricket commentary scene in Australia.

I'll do Fox as I've mostly only watched their coverage so far:

O'Keeffe 9 - genuine gem. There are times he can overdo the comedy, but usually it's not at the expense of the game itself, and his knowledge of players is genuinely first-rate. Lots of personality too.
Guha 8 - there are times she does come across as being a bit too unassertive, but her voice and appearance is so beautiful it doesn't really matter. And her knowledge is pretty damn good too and isn't afraid to ask the tough questions of her co-commentators.
Gilchrist 7 - a rare player who can actually call the game fairly well is worth his weight in gold, and he's a pretty sharp cricketing mind typically. Could probably improve his insights somewhat but he's pretty good.
Border 7 - a bit dour, but I do rate him. Fairly polished, no BS and has pretty decent knowledge.
Symonds 7 - doesn't seem super insightful, but his calling style is one I dig and he seems to be quite sharp. Not sure how he'd go doing Tests but he's a good white ball caller.
Vaughan 7 - this will probably get me lynched, but I actually think he's pretty solid. Has a fairly sharp mind, seems willing to ask good questions of his co-commentators and is rather balanced. Perhaps he'll be worse when England are playing but even on 9 he was pretty decent.
Hussey 6 - he's fine, I guess. Still a bit boring but at least focuses on the game and isn't really offensive.
Julian 6 - has got excellent qualities for hosting - he speaks fairly well and is very good looking (if that floats your boat) but his actual commentary isn't too flash. Just don't think he knows enough about the game.
Warne 5 - I will say this much - I think he's been better on Fox than 9. He seems more willing to discuss the game and his insights have always been quality. He's still a self-promotion grudge-ridden dickhead though and the call felt better when he was not commentating at Perth.
Howard 5 - good caller, but really shouldn't be doing internationals with Fox's structure. Simply seems pointless.
Waugh 5 - on the one hand, I do kinda respect that he is willing to say what he believes rather than simply toeing the CA line and making excuses. But seems overly prone to going into Channel 9 mode too much and he also seems way too keen to come across as not watching that much cricket. Why commentate, then?

And their non-international guys:

Jones 7 - I get why she isn't commentating men's internationals, but I do quite enjoy her work. Free from BS and also seems rather knowledgeable.
Hastings 7 - seems pretty promising so far. Has pretty good knowledge and doesn't seem particularly obnoxious.
Lehmann 5 - his knowledge is rather strong, but he's simply not really a natural with the mic, alas.
Hughes 4 - has some....interesting views about the game. Would be an interesting character in some commentary boxes but overall he doesn't come across as being very good.
Johnson 4 - early days but doesn't really seem up to it from the little I've heard.
Morris 4 - I guess he's fine, but again seems pointless. Plus while Howie seems like a great guy, Morris just strikes me as your typical private schoolboy dickhead.
Lee 3 - occasionally says something interesting re: fast bowling and less overtly obnoxiously Australian as some, but otherwise very bad. Simply isn't bright enough for it.
Healy 2 - again apart from wicket-keeping is awful. Thank god that unlike 9 Fox has sidelined him so far.

So far a lot better than 9. Probably stronger than any non-Sky team right now, though admittedly that could change as time goes on and the bad memories of 9 decline.

Let's see what's changed:

O'Keeffe 8 - still one of my favourites but he's prone to letting his comedy disrupt the call. Especially when he's paired with the wrong person.
Vaughan 5 - yeah now I see why lots of people disliked his commentary. I think his badness is over-stated in some quarters but he just comes across as having all the answers and in a pretty obnoxious way. Still less bad than Warne though.
Lee 5 - honestly I think his actual commentary is under-rated, if he sticks to general special comments he actually has some decent insights when it comes to quick bowling for example. Pretty clueless with regards to anything else though; for example he's a horrid fit for any post-game punditry and the like.
Warne 3 - yeah, five games was too early to judge. Went back into 9 mode very quickly. He does seem to talk about the game more but he simply is not a good commentator. It's even worse that he is often Fox's "go-to" guy, instead of say Gilchrist or Kerry (compare it to 7 who use Ponting as their "go-to" guy).

Everything else I'll stick with. I want to say there are better comm teams out there (other than Sky which I've already said is better; though even Sky was kinda bad this year), but most other ones have much bigger liabilites than Fox's.

I'll also do 7:

Ball-by-ball

Mitchell 8 - gun. Very well suited to ball-by-ball commentary, doesn't say anything stupid, easy to listen to and gets the conversation going nicely with the experts.
Lane 5 - has good rapport with Ponting which helps, but has the tendency to say a lot of crap. At least he isn't annoying and is actually decent at ball-by-ball unlike a lot of others.
Brayshaw 5 - better suited to doing ball-by-ball as his insights have never been good, and being on 7 he is forced to discuss cricket a lot more than he did on 9. So in that sense he is much improved.
Maher 5 - mostly been dumped to women's cricket at this point, he actually goes OK there as he seems willing to do his research and not patronise. Yet something about him just doesn't feel right, I think it's the voice. Just struggle to take him seriously at times.

Experts

Ponting 10 - basically the perfect expert commentator. Sometimes struggles a bit with regards to ball-by-ball stuff but he doesn't need to do that on 7, and in terms of insights he is unparalled. Thank god they use him more than anyone. Best in the world.
Gillespie 7 - not the best speaker but has a good eye for the game, a fair bit of quirkiness and isn't afraid to rock to boat, which makes him a good fit for special comments whenever he actually can do it.
Nannes 7 - pretty good. Can be a tad negative but is not afraid at all to go against the grain and is rather interesting while doing so. Unlike Waugh it's not built on edginess either.
Katich 6 - I expected more from him, I think. When he was on the ABC he was generally a very interesting and pretty engaging expert, on 7 he feels a tad bland. I guess that shows the difference between radio and TV. Still, not too bad.
McGrath 6 - has gotten a lot better in recent times, though that might be because he's mostly feeding off Ponting.
Blewett 6 - doesn't make that much of an impression, but mostly is fine.
Fleming 4 - the frustrating thing here is that on paper Fleming should be a gun commentator - very knowledgeable, rather charismatic and a decent sense of humour. The problem is that he thinks he's funnier than he actually is, and is too big on self-promotion. Simply put, annoying.
Sthalekar 4 - struggles. Her voice is rather grating and her insights aren't too good either. Simply shouldn't be commentating, and it's easy to why Australia looked to England to fill their female quota.
Slater 3 - has improved a little bit from his nadir a few years back but still....not good. No idea why he was the one recruited from 9.
Tufnell 3 - I haven't heard a great deal of his commentary but what I have....yikes. Just comes across as a massively smug dickhead.
Copeland N/A - doesn't get a rating as his role is simply way too hard to assess properly. FWIW I think he started off pretty ordinary in that role but he's grown into it quite nicely; it still seems a tad jarring

Haven't heard enough of Hodge or the non-Sthalekar females to judge.